The Effects of Giving the Curcumin on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and Muscle Function Following Eccentric Exercise

Abstract

Curcumin, from turmeric, has been investigated for its anti-inflammatory activity. We investigated the effects of giving the curcumin on delayed onset muscle soreness and muscle function following eccentric exercise. We used a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial with two 8-day testing phases and a 3-month washout period. Ten healthy male subjects performed two bouts of eccentric exercise involving elbow flexion (6 sets of 4 repetitions) 30 min after curcumin (150 mg) or placebo was given. Perceived muscle soreness, maximal voluntary isometric elbow flexor strength, elbow range of motion (ROM), and upper arm circumference were assessed before, immediately post (0), 24, 48, 72, and 96 h following exercise. All parameters changed significantly (p<0.05) in both groups at 0 h. There was significantly (p<0.05) less perceived muscle soreness and higher maximal isometric strength in the curcumin group compared with the placebo group after 48, 72, and 96 h. There was a significant (p<0.05) smaller reduction in elbow ROM in the curcumin group compared with the placebo group at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. No differences were observed in upper arm circumference. This suggests that curcumin can alleviate muscle soreness and enhance muscle recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage.